Powder comprising metal containing particles having a highly anisotropic, irregular morphology

The present invention provides a powder comprising metal containing particles having a highly anisotropic, irregular morphology, said particles comprising one or more metal chemical elements selected from the group consisting of nickel, chromium, molybdenum, cobalt, and iron, wherein each metal containing particle comprises one or more filaments individually having one dimension substantially greater than the other two, said metal containing particles comprising aggregated and fused starting particles produced by heating the starting particles under conditions suitable for short-range diffusional sintering such that bonds are formed between particles at particle contacts, and particles are fused only with immediate neighbors, said starting particles having a more regular morphology and not having one dimension substantially greater than the other two, wherein each starting particle has a diameter of about 10 mu m or less, and further wherein the air-laid density of the powder is at least 20 % lower than the air-laid density of a powder comprising said starting particles; and a powder comprising metal containing particles having a highly anisotropic, irregular morphology wherein the particles comprise one or more metal chemical elements selected from the group consisting of nickel, chromium, molybdenum, cobalt, and iron, wherein said powder is produced by: a) heating starting particles under conditions suitable for short-range diffusional sintering, such that bonds are formed between particles at particle contacts and particles are fused only with immediate neighbors thereby forming a lightly sintered material, wherein each starting particle has a diameter of about 10 mu m or less and comprises one or more metal or metalloid chemical elements or an alloy of two or more of said elements, wherein said starting particles having a more regular morphology comprising one filament not having one dimension substantially greater than the other two; and b) breaking the lightly sintered material, thereby forming particles of having an anisotropic, irregular morphology comprising one or more filaments individually having one dimension substantially greater than the other two, said particles comprising aggregated and fused starting particles wherein the air-laid density of said particles formed is reduced by at least 20 % compared to said starting particles.